On the surface, there seems to be an inherent dichotomy between gaming and responsible gaming.

However, as the casino industry continues to evolve, casino and gaming operators are drawing a potentially counterintuitive conclusion: gaming and responsible gaming go hand in hand.

After decades of viewing responsible gaming as a burden, many operators are now embracing it. And in coordination with regulators and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), like the National Council on Problem Gambling, they’re leading the responsible gaming charge.

WE’VE COME A LONG, LONG WAY TOGETHER

Progressive gaming companies are coming around, but the gap they need to cross is substantial.

Convincing other companies with more entrenched views isn’t going to be easy. Getting everyone up to speed and on the same page is going to take time.

During a G2E 2017 responsible gaming panel, International Center for Gaming Regulation Executive Director André Wilsenach said there is a fundamental misunderstanding of “the stigma, the nature of the issue, its seriousness, and how to deal with it.”

Part of the problem to which Wilsenach is alluding is due to the novelty of responsible gaming.